74th annual Tony Awards: Better late than never
Photo Courtesy of Mashable
After COVID-19 put a damper on the world, Broadway included, the 74th Annual Tony Award show was postponed for over a year. With shows now opening back up, so have the Tonys. The last Tony Awards were held on June 9, 2019, and since Broadway went into lockdown on March 12, 2020, the eligibility period for nominations was from April 26, 2019, to Feb. 19, 2020. This shortened period resulted in 18 shows being eligible but only 15 receiving nominations. In comparison, the 73rd Annual Tony Awards had 25 shows nominated. Although “Jagged Little Pill” and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” were up for 15 and 14 awards, respectively, “Jagged Little Pill” left with two wins and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” claimed 10 awards for the night. “Slave Play” became the most nominated play in Tonys history with 12, but it unfortunately left the night with zero wins.
Although the last few shows were held at Radio City Music Hall, this year’s production took place at the Winter Garden Theater due to the smaller venue size. Viewers were able to stream the awards from the comfort of their own homes as long as they had a Paramount+ subscription and access to CBS for the post-awards concert titled “The Tony Awards Presents Broadway’s Back!” The award portion of the event took place on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. and the concert aired on CBS at 9 p.m. The concert included musical numbers from multiple Broadway stars and a performance from each production nominated for best musical: “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “Jagged Little Pill” and “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.”
Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald was the host for the first half of the night. She gave the audience the welcome back to live theater that everyone needed. With shows opening back up again, the producers of the Tony Awards felt it necessary to remind everyone how intimate a live production is than sitting at home watching a movie. “Broadway is back and better than ever,” said McDonald during her opening speech. She expressed how important it was to give back to the arts, and throughout the night they had advertising for both long-running and up and coming Broadway shows.
Kicking off the night, David Alan Grier won “Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play” for his performance in "A Soldier’s Play.” “Audra...” said Grier, starting off his acceptance speech. “I finally won one of these too. She’s got [six] of these things.” He was overjoyed with excitement to win, not only because it was the first Tony Award given out in over a year, but it was also his first one ever. Although this show was nominated for seven awards, they only left with two: the aforementioned award and “Best Revival of a Play.”
Lois Smith, featured in “The Inheritance,” made history that night by being the oldest performer to win a Tony Award. The 90-year-old approached the stage with such elegance and proceeded to give a tear-jerking speech.
Following this win, there was a Tony Award granted to Lauren Patten for her featured role in “Jagged Little Pill.” This award sparked outrage in viewers and Broadway fans alike. The production of “Jagged Little Pill” is currently under investigation for unfair treatment in the workplace, and many people believe Patten should have declined her award considering the allegations surrounding her production. Some of these claims include being harmful towards the trans and nonbinary community both on and off stage and denying a critical surgery for a cast member. “It is also a strange time for awards,” said Patten. “We are in the middle of a reckoning in our industry. And first and foremost, I want to thank my trans and nonbinary friends and colleagues who have engaged with me in difficult conversations that have joined me in dialogue about my character Jo.”
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” continued to be triumphant throughout the night by winning awards including Best Scenic, Sound, Lighting and Costume Design for a Musical. They left with a total of 10 awards, putting their “competition” of “Jagged Little Pill” far behind.
Choreographer Sonya Tayeh is the first female-identifying recipient of the “Best Choreography” Tony in the last 10 years. She went on to say, “Though I’m honored to be part of this legacy, this legacy is too small,” referring to being a queer, female, Arab American choreographer.
The night would not be complete without performances by Broadway stars new and old. Tony Award winner Jennifer Holliday performed “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Dream Girls” and received a standing ovation before she even began to sing, showing how much of an impact these stars have on their colleagues and fans.
When McDonald passed the host baton over to Leslie Odom Jr., he could not help but begin with an energetic opening number to get everyone out of their seats dancing. This original song reflected on the past year and a half of quarantine, and he even used the medium of song to convince viewers at home to get vaccinated.
Throughout this portion of the event, they had performances, tributes and the big three awards of the night: “Best Revival of a Play,” “Best Play” and “Best Musical.” After taking home nine wins thus far, it was no surprise for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” to end the night with winning “Best Musical.” Before ending the evening, there were a few more performances left. One of them was an outstanding reunion of Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the original Glinda and Elphaba in “Wicked.” They sang an overly emotional rendition of “For Good,” which left the audience in tears.
Although that by itself would have been a remarkable ending to the 74th Annual Tony Awards Show, there were still a few numbers to go. The ending performance was a unique improvisational musical number performed by the cast of “Freestyle Love Supreme.” This starred Lin-Manuel Miranda alongside his talented castmates and they left the audience exiting the venue in a light and happy mood.
There is no set day yet for the 75th Tony Awards, but since it will be the first one with nominations from the post-lockdown period, viewers can expect an extravagant production.
